Word-forming game



Sept. 15, 1925.

H. W. PETERS WORD FORMING GAME Filed March 21, 1925 SePt. 15, 1925. I

UNITED STATES HmY W. PETERS, OF LYNDHUBiB'l, NEW JERSEY.

board and blocks and other mg portion 9 on the op into squares each provi ed with a multi-- PATE OFFICE.

wean-some can Application me 1mm 21, ms. Serial ll'd. 17,5230.

To all wlwm it may comm:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. Parana, a

citizen of the United States, residing at The invention relates to games in which lettered pieces are arran ed by the players to form words, and the o ject of the invention is to provide an interesting and instructive game of this character, and to provide simp e and efiicient means for playmg the game and keeping the scores of the players.

The inventlon consists in certain novel features of playing-board, blocks or pieces, and scoring means, by which the above objects are attained, to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The accom anying drawings form a part of this speei cation and show the invention as it has been carried out in practice. The shade lines on the several parts denote colors.

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the ame ortions o the game apparatus as arranged in the progress of laying the word game.

igure 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is an elevation of one of the pins used 1n scoring.

Similar reference numerals indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The game board 5 is shown as laid upon a table 6 and consists of a rectangular tablet of sufiicient thickness, of wood or other suitable material, having the main or playing portion 7 of its upper face ruled to form rectangles or squares each having a small hole 8 provided in one corner, and a narrow scorosite end divided plicity of rows of similar small holes 10 and each square designated b the name of a color, as red, white, blue an green.

The lettered block or ieces 11 are preferably square and of su cient thickness to stand readily on edge. They are differently colored to conform to the colors, of the score portion 9, and each bears a letter of the al-.

phabeton one face.

A number of pins 12 are supplied colored to conform to the blocks, by which in conjunction with the holes 8 and 10 the scor ing is effected.

Ina preferred form of the invention fiftytwo lettered blocks 11 of each of the colors are provided thus supplying two complete alphabets for each player represented by each color. Y

The game as illustrated in the drawings may be pla ed by two, three, or four players and 1s s ownas played by the full number, four. The blocks 11 are all first laid .face down on the table, with their lettered faces thus hidden, and thoroughly mixed.

Each player, designated as red, white, blue,

and green, then draws six blocks of his own color and stands them on edge before him with the letters concealed from the other pla ers. 7

ed begins the set by selecting any one of the letters in his hand, as C and placing it, lettered face up, on any selected square on the playing portion 7 of the board 5, preferably in the central part thereof, as at 13, to permit additions in all directions, and then draws another block of his color from the table to maintain the required number, six, in his hand.

While follows by similarly placing any letter in his hand upon any square, but may see an opportunity to complete a word later by placing A immediately after Reds and then draws a white'block from the table.

Blue may hold nothing to complete a word containing the CA already played but sees an opportunity to complete a word later by placing R above the red C, as at the square 14.

Green having a P places it after CA already played and thus makes the word CAP longitudinally ofthe board, and, before or after drawing from the table, plants a reen pin 12 in the hole of the P square, t us scoring one for his color.

Red, having an E places it after P thus making the word CAPE and places one of his red pins 12 in the hole of the E square, and White may follow with R, making CAPER and places a white pin 12 in the hole of the R square.

Blue having an A places it on the square at 15 above R and thus makes the word ARC vertically and places a blue pin 12 in the hole of the A square. Red places T on the uare 16 below P and thus makes RA dia onally, and White puts an S after 0 PER and thus makes CAPERS and correspondpoints of each set an ing] scores, and so 0 making the word com inations horizontally and vertically,

and .dia onally in both digections, until the two a1 abets of each player are exhausted or until further formation oi words is impossible due either to location of previously played letters, or to "lack of letters capable of forming word combinations.

The number of points scored to win the game may be as agreed and the score is kept b several p ayers on the scoring portion of the board, either by advancing a pin 12 .in the holes 10 of the proper scoring square after the completion of a word, or b adding the winning advancing the pin correspondingly at the end of the set.

To increase the difliculty of the game it has been found desirable with four pla ers playing independently, as above descri ed, to allot four blocks 11 to each player instead of six, and to allot six to each player when two are playing, but the number may be varied to increase or lessen the difliculty of forming words, as determined by the skill of the players.

Four players ma play as partners using only two colors an playing in turn as will be understood.

Certain squares on the playing portion of the board 5, as for example the rst eight of the lower row, may be set apart for abbreviations as D. O. for the District of Columbia, or N. J. for New Jersey, the player being compelled to announce the meaning of the abbreviation before scoring for its completiomand further to facilitate scoring, the use of words in foreign languages may bepermitted.

Additional vowels and other much-used letters may be supplied to the alphabets in upon, as fort -one," t e 1,us,asu

the various colors as an aid in the formation of an increased number of words.

The game apparatus is simple and easily manufactured; it may however v be as elaborate and ex nsive in design as taste may dictate, and in practice the game has been found extremely interesting and instructive, aiding in extendin the vocabulary of the players and provi mg improving exercises in spelling.

I claim 1. The game a aratus described, comprising a multiplicity oflettered blocks, a multiplicity of scoring pins, and a board having its face divided into squares each adapted to receive one of said blocks and each having a hole adapted to receive one of said pina 2. The game apparatus described, comprising a multiplicity of blocks of a'plurality of colors, the blocks of each color hearing letters, a multiplicity of scoring pins corresponding in color to said blocks, and a board having its face divided into s uares each adapte to receive one of said locks and each having a hole adapted to receive one of said pins.

3. The game apparatus described, comprisin a multiplicity of lettered blocks, a multiglicit of scoring pins, and a board having a p afying portion and a scorin portion on its ace, the playing portion eing divided into squares each adapted to receive one of said blocks, and each having a hole ada ted to receive one of said pins, and said scoring portion having divisions each having a multislicity of holes arranged in rows and adapte to receive said pins.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I afiix my signature hereto.

HENRY W. PETERS. 

